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Nelson Circuit Court hears arguments on motion to combine Crystal Rogers investigation cases

94.3 The Wolf

Attorneys for Brooks Houck maintain that trying him in a joint trial with Steven Lawson and Joseph Lawson would be in violation of Houck’s due process.

Special Prosecutor Shane Young’s motion to join the trials of the three suspects charged in the Crystal Rogers investigation was argued during a hearing in Nelson Circuit Court Monday morning.

Houck’s defense attorney Brian Butler said the argument of the defense is that Houck did not commit the crime he has been charged with and that Steven Lawson has lied in his interviews with police and his grand jury testimony, and trying the three together would remove Houck’s ability to cross-examine Lawson and refute his statements. Butler also said it wouldn’t be possible to redact Lawson’s testimony to remove Houck’s name without implicating Houck, and a jury would not be able to follow directions for one defendant and ignore them for another. Butler said because a joint trial would rob Houck of his due process any convictions would likely fail on appeal.

Special Prosecutor Teresa Young said federal and state courts have shown that they favor joint trials because all of the cases have the same information, and a joint trial promotes consistent testimony. Young also said the joint trial is needed to show the collaboration between the suspects.

Butler showed video of Lawson’s interviews with police to show what he called Lawson’s changing story and the efforts of law enforcement to guide Lawson to making a certain statement. Butler said the video shows Lawson’s testimony is unreliable, but if he is tried with Houck and chooses not to testify then Houck has no way of refuting the prosecution’s telling of events.

Young called Butler’s arguments “clear as mud”, and said the prosecution is not using Lawson’s grand jury testimony.

Judge Charles Simms III said having heard from Houck and Steven Lawson’s defenses on the motion to join and their objections, he still wanted to hear from Joseph Lawson’s defense on the matter. Joseph Lawson is due back in court on July 18, and Judge Simms said he would rule as quickly as possible after that.

KYTC inspecting Western Kentucky bridges over I-65 this week

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Crews with Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Four will be performing bridge inspections on the Western Kentucky Parkway bridges over Interstate 65 this week.

“These inspections are part of a regular maintenance schedule,” said KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie. “There is no other reason at this point for doing these inspections, and we do them on all of our bridges – county, state, federal bridges. They are all regularly inspected on a maintenance schedule.”

The KYTC says varying lane closures will take place and drivers should be prepared for merging conditions in both directions on the parkway around inspection crews. Use caution and pay close attention when approaching the area.

City of Elizabethtown hosting July Lawn Party at the Lake concert Wednesday

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The City of Elizabethtown is excited to host its July Lawn Party at the Lake Concert this Wednesday.

“It is held every second Wednesday at the bandstand at Freeman Lake Park off of the Blue Heron Road entrance,” said Elizabethtown Events Manager Beth Pyles. “We are offering multiple concerts with family friendly events throughout the summer.”

This month’s concert will feature Louisville-based Radiotronic, which according to the band’s Facebook page plays the hits of the 70s, 80s, and today. Their show Wednesday will feature the music of the Bee Gees.

Each Lawn Party event offers food vendors, and while outside alcohol is not permitted alcoholic beverages will be on sale.

“The concert series is totally free and family friendly,” Pyles said. “The gates will open at 5.30 p.m. and the acts will take the stage around 6.30, so it gives you a little bit of time to come in and get seated. It is festival style seating, so we ask that people bring lawn chairs, you can bring blankets. We will have picnic tables, but it’s very, very casual.”

Pyles said the first year for the concert series was a successful one, and in 2024 there’s nowhere to go but up.

“We had such a wonderful turnout last year after we got through the rain, but we’re very, very excited,” Pyles said. “The bandstand at Freeman Lake is such a beautiful fixture in our community. If you haven’t been out to see it, it is the perfect place to relax after a hard day, and we’re really excited.”

Follow the Elizabethtown City Events Facebook page for more information and updates.

Hardin County Clerk’s Office cutting ribbon on Radcliff location Tuesday

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All are invited to attend Tuesday at 9 a.m. as the Hardin County Clerk’s Office cuts the ribbon on their Radcliff office, located at 101 West Lincoln Trail Boulevard.

“We’re excited to finally cut the ribbon on this,” said Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith. “I want to thank Nolin RECC for being a great partner in this. I want to thank our community leaders who’ve been very, very supportive of this effort. The public’s invited to the ribbon cutting, but most importantly, we want the public to come out and use the services that are available.”

The Radcliff office will be able to process voter registrations and vehicle registrations.

“We are still having some issues with KAVIS, the statewide computer system that county clerks were issued by the state transportation cabinet, so there may be a few hiccups,” Smith said. “We ask for the public’s continued patience, but this is going to be an office that’s going to provide the services that people were used to when it was open.”

Returning operations to Radcliff was something Smith talked about during his campaign, but he says getting the office up and running was more about responsibility to residents in the northern half of the county.

“Yes, this was a campaign promise,” Smith said. “Yes, I’m thrilled we’re able to get to the point where we can open this office, but this is about the people. This isn’t about a promise or a policy or anything like that, but for me, this is about taking care of all of Hardin County, which is what I promised.”

The clerk’s office’s Radcliff location will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fun starts Monday at the Hardin County Fair

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The fun kicks off Monday at the Hardin County Fairgrounds as the 2024 Hardin County Fair gets under way.

Monday is Entry Day for FFA and 4H entries and exhibits, so entries in this year’s fair will be getting registered in the morning and early afternoon.

In addition to great food at the restaurant and from vendors, adorable animals at the petting zoo, and exciting rides at the midway, Monday will feature the Parent-Child Look-Alike contest at 7:30 p.m. and the 2024 Miss Hardin County Fair Pageant at 8 p.m., with both events at the Pageant Building. The Demolition Derby will be held at the Motorsports Ring at 7:30 p.m.

Monday is Nolin RECC night at the fairgrounds. Members should check in the materials they received from the annual meeting for a coupon for $1 off the $15 admission price.

The Hardin County Fair has lots to offer for everybody, and as Fair Board President Marty Fulkerson says, “it’s 61 years of the most fun you can have with your shoes on!”

Find the complete schedule on the Hardin County Fair website or Facebook page.

Judge denies Steven Lawson’s immunity claim

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The motion to dismiss filed by the attorney for Crystal Rogers investigation suspect Steven Lawson has been denied.

Lawson faces charges of Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Tampering with Physical Evidence, but he claimed he was promised immunity in exchange for his cooperation with the investigation, so therefore his charges should be dismissed.

Nelson Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms III denied that motion in an order filed Wednesday.

In the order, Judge Simms says a written immunity agreement was never executed, and while Lawson’s defense provided transcripts of discussions of an immunity agreement, the judge said it was clear that such an agreement was contingent on Lawson being completely truthful, which the judge said the prosecution showed was not the case. The judge also said Lawson’s defense never called any witnesses during a hearing reviewing the immunity claim, instead relying entirely on the transcripts.

In the motion to dismiss, the defense had also requested that should the motion be denied the court then suppress Lawson’s statements to police and his grand jury testimony. While the grand jury testimony request was denied, Judge Simms said Lawson does have the right to suppress his interviews with police. The court will discuss whether Lawson uses the interviews or not in a hearing set for August 8.

Brooks Houck is due back in court Monday as the prosecution will argue to consolidate Houck, Lawson, and Joseph Lawson’s cases into one, which Houck’s defense has filed an objection against.

Officials needed for area middle and high school football games

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The 2024-2025 school year is quickly approaching, and as students get ready to return to their studies and activities organizers are working to make sure events are set to run smoothly.

Michael Moritz is the secretary treasurer for the Mid Kentucky Officials Association. He says the organization is in need of middle and high school football referees.

“Our numbers have been going down over the last few years, and we really are in need of as many people that are willing to be out there on a Friday night or a Thursday night or whatever night of the week it is that they’re playing,” Moritz said.

Mortiz says getting started as an official is an easy process, with those interested needing to purchase their equipment and begin training via training sessions that get started July 13.

“What they need to do is call Andy Strain,” Moritz said. “He’s the KHFAA assigner for our region. His number is 270-272-3205, and you can contact him via phone or you could even just show up on Saturday, July 13th at 9 o’clock at John Hardin High School. That’ll be our first training session for this season for all of the officials.”

Moritz says the sooner you sign up the better in order to get training requirements in and to participate in preseason scrimmages to get ready for game days. He says officiating is a great experience.

“I’ve been doing it for 25 years and it’s been a lot of fun for me, and it’s fun to be out there with the kids on a Friday night in a real tight game, things like that, so it’s been very, very rewarding, and if you have that niche, it can be as rewarding for you as well,” Moritz said.

Contact Andy Strain or visit the KHSAA officiating website for more information.

Voter registrations up again in June

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The number of new voter registrations in Kentucky in June outpaced the number of voters removed from the voting rolls.

The Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office says Kentucky added 9,693 new voter registrations and removed 4,362 voters from the rolls in the month of June.

Of the voters removed from the rolls, 3,030 were for deceased voters, 603 were for convicted felons, and 554 moved to another state.

The Secretary of State’s office says Republican registration increased by 4,947 voters in June, and independent or other registrations increased by 1,502 voters, while Democratic registrations decreased by 1,717 voters. Republican registrations currently make up about 46 percent of the electorate while Democratic registrations make up about 43 percent, with independent or other making up about 10 percent.

Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith says getting registered is a simple process.

“Registering to vote has never been easier,” Smith said. “The quickest and easiest way for most. folks would be to visit govote.ky.gov. They can do that on the computer or their phone and they can register to vote that way. They can also call or visit their county clerk’s office. The deadline to register to vote and participate in the November election is October 7, so don’t wait until the deadline. Go ahead and get it done early.”

Visit the Kentucky Secretary of State’s website for more information on voter registration statistics.

Glendale farmer in the running for Farmer of the Year award

94.3 The Wolf

A Glendale farmer is in the running for Kentucky Farm Bureau’s 2024 Farmer of the Year award.

Richard Preston was named one of three finalists for the honor, which is presented to a Kentucky Farm Bureau member “whose efforts strengthen the state’s agriculture industry and demonstrate service and leadership, both on and off the farm.”

Preston says he wasn’t expecting the nomination, let alone being named a finalist.

“I spend a lot of time doing things that do not necessarily make the most money in farming, like looking for new ways to farm, but I was really excited when my colleagues, my peers, picked me to run in this contest, and then I know the competition was tough but somehow I managed to squeeze into the top three,” Preston said.

Preston is a first generation farmer, managing 3,300 acres of land with his wife Marjorie. After starting out in hogs and crops and transitioning to crops and tobacco, Preston grows corn, soybeans, and wheat, but farming wasn’t his original job when he graduated from Yale with a doctorate in physical chemistry.

“I was a scientist before I was a farmer, but I decided to come back to Kentucky to get away from the big city and everything, and now I live in Glendale and they’re bringing the big city to me, so I guess it’s just funny how things come around to get you, don’t they?” Preston said.

Preston says he is proud to be part of the Hardin County farming community.

“We have a group of excellent farmers,” Preston said. “They’re high up in leadership positions in commodity organizations and Farm Bureau, and just to be recognized in Hardin County gives me a lot of pride.”

Preston has worked as an advisor and mentor in the Crop Observation and Research Education Program and held leadership roles in Hardin County Farm Bureau. He tells future farmers the job is worth the time.

“It’s a great occupation,” Preston said. “I love being outside. It is very stressful and takes a lot of hard work, but if they’re willing to do that, it’s a very rewarding experience.”

Preston and the other finalists will be honored at the KFB Ham Breakfast at the Kentucky State Fair on August 21. The winner will be announced October 2 and recognized at December’s annual meeting.

HCS Superintendent Morgan hosting community conversations

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Hardin County Schools Superintendent Teresa Morgan will be hosting three Coffee and Conversation with the Superintendent events over the next month and a half.

“It’s a great opportunity for Ms. Morgan to visit with our community stakeholders about the great things taking place in our schools and for her to answer some questions from our community members,” said HCS Community Relations Specialist John Wright.

The first session will be held Tuesday, July 9 from 8 to 9 a.m. at Apostoli Coffee in Radcliff, the second on July 19 at Tony York’s on Main in Glendale, and the third will be at Social on Main in Elizabethtown on August 13.

“It’s just a great time to learn what’s taking place across our district,” Wright said. “Hardin County Schools is a leader in the state in instructional initiatives and technology initiatives, and it’s just a great opportunity to learn more about that and the quality education that the students in our community are receiving.”

All are welcome to attend.

Meanwhile, HCS has announced new start times for some of their schools ahead of the first day of classes on August 7. The district says the changes are by no more than five minutes. You can find a link to the new schedules on the Hardin County Schools Kentucky Facebook page.